News Study Finds Chicago Bag Tax Driving Down Disposable Bag Use.

Energy & Environment Lab Study Finds Chicago Bag Tax Driving Down Disposable Bag Use

WGN / April 22, 2017
By Melissa Berman

Chicago’s new 7-cents-per-bag tax appears to be working. That’s according to a study by researchers from ideas42, New York University and the University of Chicago Energy & Environment Lab.

Chicago implemented the tax on February 1.

Since then, the study found a decrease in both the number of disposable bags used and the number of customers using them.

Prior to the tax Chicago shoppers used an average of 2.3 bags per grocery shopping trip. Preliminary analysis shows that since the tax, that average has dropped to 1 bag.

22 April 2017

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